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TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage Paid
Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949
INSIDEVol. 41 No.44 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] March 21, 2014
RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt
TheAustinVillager.comTheAustinVillager.com
Police ChiefUnder Fire...Again!
The Magic of Education Scholarship BanquetThe Magic of Education Scholarship BanquetDeltaBeta
ChapterHonors
CommunityLeaders
Mrs. Esther PhillipsAchievement
Mr. Albert BlackChild, Inc.
The Hon. Sheryl ColeCity Council
Ms. Mae CollinsReligion
Dr. Gregory J. VincentEducation
Dr. James PolkFine Arts
Mrs. Nancy ThompsonBusiness
AUSTIN - There isa hint of magic in the air!Knowledge, honor andcourage whisper to allwho will hear. On Fri-day, April 4, 2014 atEmbassy Suites Hotel,the National Sorority ofPhi Delta Kappa, Inc.,Delta Beta Chapter willrecognize seven out-standing citizens who
have contributedgreatly to the magicalphenomenon known asAustin, Texas.
During this en-chanted evening, DeltaBeta will honor out-standing achievement infine arts, business, edu-cation, religion, com-munity, politics and ser-vice. Honorees include
Dr. James Polk who is arenowned jazz pianist aswell as ProfessorEmeritus of Jazz Studiesin the School of Music atTexas State University.He is affectionatelyknown as the godfatherof the modern Austinjazz scene. In the area ofbusiness Mrs. NancyThompson, owner of
Something For You andbusiness womanextraordinaire; and inthe area of religion, Mrs.Mae Collins, who hasbeen active at the local,state and national levelsof the Baptist Conven-tion and serves as presi-dent of the St. John Dis-trict II will be recog-See HONOREE, page 2
BETNetworkPulling
NoPunches
ForGospelTelecast
By Naomi Richard
BETNetworkPulling
NoPunches
ForGospelTelecast
LIFTED VOICES - VaShawn Mitchell and Chanté Moore singing a dueton the upcoming BET Celebration of Gospel. (Photo Courtesy of BET)
Get ready for aspectacular display oftalent as BET Networkprepares for its upcom-ing 2014 Celebration ofGospel telecast. It’s go-ing to be church likenever before with an all-star cast and new musi-cal collaborations. Actslike VaShawn Mitchelland Chanté Moore,
Lalah Hathaway andZacardi Cortez, Kemand Le’Andria Johnson,India Arie and JonathanMcReynolds will takethe stage. Get ready fora soul-stirring renditionof I Can Only Imagineby Tamela Mann, musicby Donnie McClurkin,Yolanda Adams, JJHairston, Tye Tribbett,Tasha Page-Lockhart,Maurette Brown Clark,Charlie Wilson,Candice Glover and afew surprises.
Celebration OfGospel features spiritedperformances and mov-ing renditions by someof today’s hottest andmost talented artistsfrom the worlds of gos-pel and R&B. This yearBET will honor Gospelmusic icon, RichardSmallwood with an all-star cast.
Academy Award®nominated actressTaraji P. Henson hasbeen chosen to hostBET’s #1 gospel music
special. The multi-tal-ented Taraji takes overthe role as Steve Harvey,king of comedy and allthings media, ends hishistoric 13-year run.
Whether you’ve al-ways loved Gospel mu-sic or you’ve neverheard it before, don’tmiss this high-spiritedand energized produc-tion of music sure totouch your soul.
The show airs April6 on BET at 8P/7C.Check your local listings.
KAPPA’S TOHONOR
AUSTINITESAT 78TH
COUNCILMEETING
Kevin Overton-Hadnot,Polemarch
AUSTIN, TX - TheAustin area and sur-rounding Central Texascommunities are in-vited to the 78th South-western Province Coun-cil Public Meeting, onThursday, March 27,2014, beginning at7:00PM at the AustinHilton Hotel located at500 East 4th Street. Thepublic meeting kicks offthe annual fraternityconference which willtake place over thecourse of four days.During the conference,the fraternity will recog-nize local citizens withthe Southwestern Prov-ince Distinguished Citi-zen Award for outstand-ing services rendered to
See ALBERT, page 2
Public-private law enforcement unionsescalate in Austin.See CITIZENS
Page 2
TX Republicans cuthealth care services
from 4 million people.See PARENT
Page 6
DAEP centers hindertroubled youth withdefective curriculum.See DISCIPLINE
Page 7
When our Police Chiefwas hired, we were having alot of problems with excessivepolice activity and the shoot-ing of minorities in the city.While Chief Art Acevado wasdoing his final interviews inAustin, we were in the middleof an investigation of one of thelatest shootings. He made arequest to go to the scene ofthe incident to get a first handlook. Many believed this wasan example that he was in-terested in doing somethingabout the problem, should heget the job.
He was hired and for ashort time, things seemed tobe getting better. However,recent history does not showmuch improvement, if any, inthe over-actions of the Menin Blue. I say Men, becausethere is not much history ofwomen officers shooting un-armed citizens and exercis-ing the “shoot first and askquestions later” culture of thedepartment.
It seems that it is notjust a minority problem anymore. I was surprised tohear the many speakers be-fore the Austin City Councilasking for some kind of ex-amination of police policy.They sited the history of thedepartment before Acevadoand the current situation andmany could not see any dif-ference. It appears that thearrest of the female joggerdowntown set off a lot ofanger against the department.Many were angry because shewas taken to the ground andarrested like a common crimi-nal.
The difference be-tween these speakers andthose in the past was that theyare middle class WhiteAustinites. This group has al-ways been the last ones tospeak out against the depart-ment. And while they did notdemand or suggest that we geta new chief, they did stronglysuggest that the council take aserious look at the departmentand its policies.
Maybe this timethe Council will take themseriously. It is time for themto review the current op-erational policies that thedepartment is working under.Maybe something can bedone before things get anyfurther out of hand.
Page 2 ~ March 21, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
THE COMMUNIQUÉ
nized.Also to be recog-
nized are the HonorableSheryl Cole, the first Af-rican American womanelected to the AustinCity Council, now serv-ing as Mayor Pro Tem;Dr. Gregory Vincent,vice president for Diver-sity and Community En-gagement at the Univer-sity of Texas at Austin;and, Mr. Albert Black,Executive Director ofChild Incorporated.Rounding out the trib-ute is Mrs. Esther “Pixi”Phillips, who will beDelta Beta’s Achieve-ment Award Honoree.
The National So-rority of Phi DeltaKappa, Inc. is a profes-sional non-profit orga-nization comprised offemale educators dedi-
Honoree PixiPhillips earnsAchievement
Awardcontinued from page 1
cated to the task of edu-cating the youth ofAmerica. Founded in1923, in a very segre-gated society, thisgroup of eight coura-geous African Americanteachers has today ex-panded to more than120 chapters and 3000members in 29 states.The award winning localchapter, Delta Beta, is ledby President Brenda KayFowler. Membership in-cludes both active and re-tired educators whowork tirelessly with thetwo youth groups foster-ing excellence in academ-ics and exemplary char-acter in a life of service.The enchanted evening,honoring Austin’s finestwill take place at Em-bassy Suites Hotel be-ginning at 7:00pm. Allproceeds of The Magicof Education banquetwill benefit youth schol-arship endeavors. Tick-ets are $60.00. Pleasecontact Carolyn Wilsonat (512) 928-0798 for ad-ditional informationand tickets.
the Greater Austincommunity. This year’sDistinguished Citizenaward recipients are:Judge Samuel Biscoe –the first African-Ameri-can elected CountyJudge in Travis County,Mrs. Wilhelmina Delco– the first African-American elected to theAustin ISD Board ofTrustees, and firstwoman to hold the po-sition of Speaker Pro-Tem, Judge HarrietMurphy – the first Afri-can-American womanto be officially ap-
ALBERT: “We recognize these individuals,making sure their efforts do not go unnoticed”
continued from page 1
pointed as a judge inthe State of Texas, andthe first African-Ameri-can woman to serve asDemocratic Party presi-dential elector for theState of Texas, Mr. Rich-ard Overton – the old-est living World War IIveteran in Austin, andDr. Gregory Vincent –the Vice President forDiversity and Commu-nity Engagement at theUniversity of Texas atAustin.
“As members ofKappa Alpha Psi, wepride ourselves in per-
forming outstandingcommunity service andactivism, as well as rec-ognizing those who aren’tmembers of our organi-zation that prescribe tothe same tenet”, saidTimothy Albert, South-western Regional Presi-dent of Kappa Alpha PsiFraternity, Inc. He wenton to say that “We makeit a point to recognizethese individuals in ev-ery community we hostour annual regional con-ference to do our part inmaking sure that their ef-forts do not go unno-
ticed”. The featured key-note speaker for theevent will be PastorGaylon Clark, Lead Pas-tor of Greater MountZion Baptist Church.Admission to the meet-ing is free.
Throughout theweek, the Fraternity willalso be holding acanned/nonperishablefood drive that will ben-efit the Capital Area FoodBank, and a health sym-posium that will covermental health, oral hy-giene, vision, and bloodpressure screenings.
For more information, visit http://www.southwesternprocince1911.org.
East TexasScam Now
Being ReportedIn TravisCounty
There was a scamthat was going aroundSmith County in EastTexas and now it is be-ing reported in Travis
County.Over the weekend
the Travis CountySheriff’s Office receivedseveral reports frompeople saying someoneis calling them and tell-ing them they are withthe Travis County War-rant Division and theyowe fines for missingjury duty. The suspectinstructs the victim to goto a local store and pur-chase a prepaid moneycard and call back withthe numbers on the card.Other scammers some-times will tell the victimto purchase a moneyorder and send it to anaddress.
If you receive a
jury summons shouldreport for jury duty asinstructed. If you have awarrant you should con-tact the court and takecare of it. However, it isimportant to rememberthat the
Travis CountySheriff’s Office does notcollect fines by phone orprepaid cards. If you re-ceive a similar call, callyour local law enforce-ment agency.
TRAVIS COUNTYSHERIFF’S OFFICE
BULLETINS
Sheriff GregHamilton Issues
Appeal ToCitizens In
Fight AgainstCrime
Responding to theincreased number ofcitizens wanting to as-sist law enforcement of-ficials and build a stron-ger partnership in thefight against crime,Sheriff Greg Hamiltontoday announced thatTravis County Citizensare being invited to be-come Associate Mem-bers of the Sheriffs’ As-sociation of Texas.
Membership invi-tations will go out inthe mail soon. AssociateMember funding Al-lows the Sheriffs’ Asso-ciation of Texas to pro-vide critical training,technical resources, andlegislative support onkey criminal justice is-sues to Sheriff’s Depu-
ties across the state.In addition, dues
will be used to supportcrime prevention andawareness programs,promote public safety,fight drug abuse, pro-vide additional trainingfor sheriffs and theirdeputies, and providescholarships for chil-dren of law enforce-ment officers. Contribu-tions are tax-deductible.“The Associate Mem-bership Drive helps pro-vide the funding whichis vital to our mission ofmaking communitiessafer places to live,work and play,” saidSheriff Hamilton TheAssociate Membershipprogram was created toprovide citizens with anopportunity to lendtheir support to moreeffective law enforce-ment and to better helplocal Sheriffs protect thelives and property ofcitizens.
“During these eco-nomic times, the needfor building strongerpublic-private law en-forcement partnershipscontinues to escalate,and programs such asthis continue to grow inimportance,’ said Sher-iff Hamilton. “I encour-age every citizen receiv-ing a membership ap-peal to consider joiningforces with us by be-coming an AssociateMember. It is a valuableinvestment in our fu-ture.” Citizens not re-
ceiving a membershipappeal or desiring moreinformation can obtainit by contacting theSheriff’s Association ofTexas at: 1601 IH 35,Austin, Texas 78741www.txsheriffs.org
The Sheriffs’ Asso-ciation of Texas and Mr.Steve M. Westbrook arethe contact for this re-lease and can be reachedat 445-5888.
BizAid BusinessOrientation(3/25/2014)
AUSTIN, TX -BizAid Business Orien-tation provides a gen-eral overview to open-ing a small business orre-evaluating an exist-ing business during itsgrowth. This courseprovides information onwhere entrepreneurscan find assistance at theidea, start-up, and exist-ing stages of their busi-ness.
MUST REGISTER!
Time:9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: EntrepreneurCenter of Austin, 4029South Capital of TexasHighway #110, Austin,
TX 78704
For RegistrationInformation:
call 512-974-7800 orvisit website
www.austinsmallbiz.com
*Fee: FREE
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/March 21, 2014 ~ Page 3
CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN
Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892
Sunday Services Worship Service 8:00 A.M. Sunday School 9:00 A.M. Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M. Worship Service 11:00 A.M.
WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709
Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875
Dr. Ricky Freeman, Pastor
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723
Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281Christian Web Site-
THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US
Sunday School 8:45 a.m. Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.
and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland
Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)
Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor
Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.
For there is no greater love!
Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.orgRev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.
Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727
Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,
Austin, Texas 78752
Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270
Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His Image
The Church of Pentecost
Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751
Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am
Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.
--- Martin Luther
Kenneth Hill, Pastor
1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023
Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.
Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org
Globalizing the Gospel
A Ministry That Ministers
Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor
OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH
Felix Bamirin, Pastor
GRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCHExperience Grace For Life
(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)
Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: [email protected] lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org
JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758
SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.
Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843
(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net
WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18
A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
DOUBLE
GROCERY“R”
450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.
*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out
SpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsLaLaLaLaLawwwww
The bills don’t stop whenyou’re sick or hurt and
have no income statefarm.com
INSURANCE THAT IS!
Richard Glasco, Agent11824 Jollyville Rd
Suite 300Austin, TX 78759-2300
(512) 250-5533
Ask me about DisabilityIncome Insurance the
State Farm Way.
HEALTH?HOW’S YOUR
Call for details on coverage, cost, restrictions and renewability
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
*Home Office: Bloomington, Illinois
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
Wes SpearsAttorney Personal Injury,
Criminal andFamily Law
512-696-2222512-687-3499
401 Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701
Suite 1540
*Austin and Kileen | *Principal Office
30 Years Experience
SpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsLaLaLaLaLawwwww
Bobby Bradford 4Austin’s Historic Victory Grill
Sunday, March 23 doors 7:30PM, music 8:00$13 advance tickets available at
https://www.artful.ly/store/events/2831
$15 door(512)517-2248
The Rev. Joseph Collins (center), associateminister at Freedom Home Baptist Church in Aus-tin, was the guest speaker at the David ChapelMissionary Baptist Church Men’s Breakfast Sat.,March 15. On the left is the Rev. Joseph C. ParkerJr., David Chapel pastor, and on the right RobertT. Emerson, head of the David Chapel deacon’sministry. Collins facilitates the Ministers’Roundtable of Texas, a statewide group of clergycommitted to providing technical assistance onHIV ministry. He spoke about misconceptions sur-rounding the HIV/AIDS issue and is holding abook he wrote about the subject. Photo by GeorgeHardin
David Chapel HostMen’s Breakfast
VOTER REGISTRATION LOGOCONTEST ANNOUNCED
Austin, TX – Travis County Voter Registration is look-ing for a new logo symbolizing efforts to help citizens takethe first vital step in the democratic process – registering tovote. The new logo will be seen on banners, buttons, t-shirts, news ads and other promotional materials. The con-test will also help determine a new slogan. Hundreds of slo-gans were submitted by Travis County Volunteer DeputyRegistrars and were narrowed down to six finalists:
- Get Registered!- Ready…Set…Register! VOTE!- Get Loud! Be Proud! Register!- Be Counted. Get Registered! Vote!- Everyone Counts in Travis County. Register & Vote!- Your Voice - Register & Vote!Anyone interested in entering the logo contest can se-
lect their favorite slogan, design a logo, and submit it to theTravis County Voter Registrar. Cash prizes of $500 for thefirst place entry, $250 for the second place entry, and $100for the third place entry have been provided by private do-nation. The deadline to enter is March 31, 2014. Full con-test rules can be found at http://www.traviscountytax.org/pdfs/VR-LogoContest.pdf. For more information, contactthe Travis County Voter Registrar at 512-854-9473 [email protected].
ARTAND
FICTIONWRITINGCONTEST
By Shirley HammondArtists and writers are being given great op-
portunities for development of their crafts, greaterexposure to the public and financial incentives.One project has a Thursday, March 20 deadline,and involves the Montopolis Neighborhood Cen-ter; another project involves artist installations for2015 as part of the Art in Public Places project. Thefinal one is for youth, and involves writing to atheme as part of the Texas Book Festival’s youth-centered writing initiative.
Tempo Art Call for ArtistsThe call for proposals for next year’s Art in
Public Places is coming. The City will be seekingprojects that include themes that are suitable foroutdoors and gives the opportunity for innova-tive, thought-provoking artworks that impactpeople’s view of their environment. Selectedprojects will temporarily appear in public parksin the greater Austin area. Further details can beobtained at www.austintexas.gov/department/TEMPO
Original Fiction ContestThe Texas Book Festival (TBF) is holding a
fiction writing contest for middle and high schoolstudents in the Lone Star State. The unique themefor this year is “The People Our Parents WarnedUs About.”
Submitted entries are considered in three di-visions: grades 7-8; grades 9-10; and grades 11-12.
According to an advisory, the theme was se-lected by TBF fans on Facebook.
The piece addressing the theme should be nomore than 2000 words in length. TBF authors, lo-cal educators and leaders in the publishing indus-try will serve as contest judges. Judges will weighin on character development, setting, dialogue,plot and resolution. Submissions are acceptedthrough June 2.
Prizes and other perks include $250 for thefirst place winner, $100 for the second place win-ner, and $50 for the third place winner. In addi-tion, first place winners are awarded a plaque, willhave their stories published on the TBF website.They will also be invited to participate on a panelduring the Texas Book Festival weekend. The TBFprovides one night of accommodations for the firstplace winners and their family if they are not anAustin-area resident.
For more information, visit: http://www.texasbookfestival.org/.
Hawaiian Falls Seeking to Hire More than
300 Seasonal Workers at Job FairsMore than 300 seasonal positions will be filled,
including Activities Director, Camp Counselor,Team Splash, Groups Coordinator, EmergencyMedical Technician, Lifeguards (training provided),Ride Attendants, Cash Control, Cashier/TicketSales, Ticket Takers, Cooks, Dishwashers, FoodPrep, Runners, Cabana Waiters, Locker Attendants,Maintenance, Grounds Control, Housekeeping andTrash Attendants. Hawaiian Falls offers job oppor-tunities for candidates 16 years of age and older.
March 27, 2014 Thursday 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Connally H. S., 13212 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX 78753
YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today
Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry
Page 4 ~ March 21, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
The Train Ride
Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary
Have you ever beenon a train? I had not eitheruntil this weekend. I wentwith my mom, two brothers,and my cousin to themetrorai l . When we gotthere we saw the train onthe tracks waiting. We wentto the ticket machine and
bought our t ickets. Wewere all so excited! Afterbuying our tickets we wentto the train and we had topush a button for the doorsto open. Since this was ourfirst time riding my momtook a picture of all of usbecause she loves to takepictures!
As the the train startedto move, my cousin startedsmiling and my youngerbrothers looked so scared!Their eyes opened so wide!We went all the way down-town by sixth street and cameback. We saw cows, emptyfields, houses, stores,places to eat, and hotels.This was an exciting and funexperience and I had a greattime riding the metrorail andI plan on riding it again!
SaNaya WhiteCedars Academy
Relaxing Time
My fr iend and mycousins went to the Every-thing SpinsSpins park andwe did lots of fun stuff andwatched the ducks. Then
we went home and I askedthem each what they wantedfor relaxing time and theysaid "pedicures and make-up please." I took my make-up kit out and got right towork, my friend helped me.Now time for pedicures!! SoI got my real foot massagerout and let their feet soakin the water then after that Irubbed lotion on their legsand put them back in thewater.
After I took their feetout of the water again, theyfelt smooth and soft. Youshould try it too! Relaxing isgreat, especial ly with agood book! Enjoy.
Alon RodgersHendrickson H.S.
Did you know that thePflugerville school districthas a clearning house for in-formation about the NationalCollege Athletic Associa-tion (NCAA)? Through apartnership with CoreCourse GPA student ath-letes can navigate theproces of being eligible forcollege athletics beginningin their freshman ear. It isimportant to be aware of allthe requirements. To getstarted activate your mem-bership atwww.CoreCourseGPA.com.Enter Hendrickson HighSchool: 445499 and SchoolCode: 756728766.
Most colleges and uni-versities value a studentwho has community servicehours because this activity
National College Athleticprovides students a chanceto develop leadershipskills and to interact withothers from diverse back-grounds. Most col legesand universities look for stu-dents that have volunteeredat least 100 hours in the fouryears of high school. Com-munity service can be vol-unteer work completed at alocal religious center, li-brary, animal shelter,school, nursing home, hos-pital, food pantry, and otherentities serving the commu-nity. Community serviceshould be as you completeyour hours.
Business Profession-als of America studentscompeted a t the BPAState Leadership Confer-ence. Placing were LizzieNenn inger - 7 th P laceDig i ta l Pub l i sh ing w i thInDesign, National Alter-na te ; Rav i S ingh - 8 thP lace In te rv iew Sk i l l s ,National Alternate; HannahMeadows - 3rd Place Digi-tal Media Production, Na-t iona l Qua l i f i e r ; andAlexander Cramer - 2ndPlace Computer Model-ing, National Qualifier.
A Simple Spring Break
Kiara MyersVista Ridge H.S.
March Madness
Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H.S.
I spent most of mySpring Break this year asmy mom’s little shadow. Itfelt like we spent the weekrunning errands and justeating. It was relaxing to
know that I could just stayin town and lounge around.Everyday I saw my friendsposting pictures of their va-cat ions or concerts atSXSW. Initially I was prettyjealous, but after a while Irealized nothing felt betterthan being able to sleep inmy own bed ‘til 12 in theafternoon.
It’s been a hectic sixweeks and a vacationwould have probablycaused more stress than re-lief. Although I did enjoy mytime at home, next year I’mhoping to do something alittle more upbeat to high-light my senior year.
March Madness is theterm used to describe thecollege basketball playoffs.In March teams finish theirseasons with conferencetournaments, where confer-ences such as the ACC,SEC, and Big 12 have all oftheir teams play a tourna-ment to determine the bestteam from that conference.Next comes Selection Sun-day where a group of
people chooses a seedand division for the teamsthat made it in.
Many people enjoypredicting the outcomes ofall the games in the tourna-ment. Some people take itvery seriously and placebets or enter contests towin money for the perfectbracket. Other people likemy family and I choose tomake a friendly competitionout of it. We play for brag-ging rights which we use allthe time. I probably brag themost, but I can back it up. Iam a proud four t imeDickerson Bracket Chal-lenge Champion.
March Madness is agreat time to just sit backand enjoy the game of bas-ketball being played on ahigh level. You can root foryour favorite school or en-joy creating a bracket andsee how well you do.
This spring break I hada good time; I spent a lot oftime at my brother,
Pi in the Sky
Imani DempsDel Valle High School
This spring break wasgood I just worked a lot. I'mnot ready to go back toschool. I have so much workto do. I have a big physicsproject due on Tuesday andI haven't even started I needto get on top of this. I can'tbelieve that senior year is al-most here. I'm ready for whatever life brings me.
Class Back In Session
Zyon HillReagan High School
Desmond’s house. Weplayed basketball and awhole lot of video games.While we were outside I sawsomething that I thought wasextraordinary that I had neverseen before. I saw about fiveor six jets write a Pi equationin the sky. They just keptgoing on and on, it seemslike it took forever and Ieventually got bored but itwas still one of the most ex-citing things I had ever seen.
Until next time, Zyon
Stay Safe
I t bothers me howmany car accidents thathave happened in the pastweek where so manypeople were injured andkilled. My mother and Iwere walking to one of thestores in our neighborhoodwhen a police car sped byus. All I saw when we madeit to the store was a sea fullof red, blue, and yellowlights flashing; there wereso many sirens going off Ididn’t know what was goingon. Turns out there was acar accident right across thestreet from the store wewere walking. An E.M.S.
De’Ja HillLamar Middle School
and a Fire truck pulled upabout the same time we ar-rived at the store and I wasunfortunate enough to seethem remove a person whowas stuck underneath a car.He was bleeding verybadly and they also placeda neck brace on him; theman passed away on theway to the hospital.
Walking onSpringdale Road on Friday,we saw some recklessdrivers. One car was driv-ing very fast on a streetwhere the speed limit is 30mph and then driving in theopposite lane to pass upcars. The next car we sawwas swerving back andforth while driving; some-thing my brother Desmondsays people his age calls‘swangin’. My whole pointis that people should thinkabout what they do beforethey do it and who may beaffected by the things theychoose to do.
Until next time, keepsmiling, De’ja’
The outcome of ourgames for the Del ValleCardinals baseball teamon Tuesday and Wednes-day did not go too good.The first game on Tuesdaythe Cards went to Ander-son to play the Trojans.We went into the gamehype and ready to playour second district game
of the season, bu t thepitching got in the way ofwinning the game. We hitthe ba t te rs abou t f i vetimes and walked a lot ofbatters in the first inning.After playing 2 innings wehad to end the game witha score of 17-3. Pitchingjust wasn’t our strengthdur ing tha t game. Ournex t game we p layedLanier Viking at Del ValleHigh School on Wednes-day.
Aga in the p i tch ingperformance did not im-prove , i t ac tua l l y wasworst. We gave up twentyruns and were only ableto get one run. The finalscore for this game was20-1. I hope next week wehave bet ter luck as weplay against the WestlakeChapar ra ls . Un t i l nex tweek be blessed.
Jaylon KnightenDel Valle High School
Pitching Gone Wrong
My Spring Break
During my Spring Break a lot
of things happen. My friendwas hurt in an accidentand to have surgery. His re-covery is looking good thankyou God! I also has homework where I had to write apaper and boy was that tir-ing. Monday school startsand it is back to the booksand will be preparing for thestar test, so I have alot of stuff on my hands. Ibelieve in myself and I knowI can do it.
Trenton LearyHornsby Elementary
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/March 21, 2014 ~ Page 5
YOUTH BRIGADE
Here's Your Motivation
It WAS Spring Break andthat is enough to make kidswant to stay buried under thecovers. But it’s okay! Just re-member--2 or 3 more months
One Act
Jasmyn PattersonReagan High School
Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy
Jory HendersonAnderson High School
Breaks Over
St. Patrick’s Day
As far back as I can re-member whenever it came tospring break I would be bad-gering my parents with ques-tions about where we wouldbe going, and what we wouldbe doing. Not this yearthough. My sophomore yearat Anderson has really keptme busy. Between mysports, school work and ev-
erything else going on all Iwanted to do this break wasrelax. And that's exactly whatI did.
Saturday to Friday mostof all I did was stay in bed.And only left the house forbasketball practice and to letmy dog out. My parents andsiblings asked if I had plansto wake up before noonmaybe or to go and dosomething. Yet, that's all Iwanted to do. Relax mybody and mind. It was verynice while it lasted. How-ever whether you were onthe beach, at a ski resort,or just laying in bed likeme, it's time to go back toschool. But summer's rightaround the corner.
St. Patrick’s Day wasmade an official Christianfeast day in the early seven-teenth century and is ob-served by the CatholicChurch (especially theChurch of Ireland) and theLutheran Church. The daycommemorates St. Patrickand the arrival of Christianityin Ireland, as well as cel-ebrates the heritage and cul-ture of the Irish in general.
On St. Patrick’s Day it is cus-tomary to wear shamrock orgreen clothing or accesso-ries (the wearing of green).St. Patrick is said to haveused the shamrock, a threeleaved plant to explain theHoly Trinity to the Pagan Irish.St. Patrick’s feast day, as akind of national day, was al-ready being celebrated bythe Irish in Europe in the ninthand tenth centuries. In latertimes, he became more andmore widely known as thePatron of England.
St. Patrick’s feast daywas finally placed on the uni-versal liturgical calendar inthe Catholic Church due to theinfluence of Waterford bornFranciscan scholar LukeWadding in the early 1600’s.St. Patrick’s Day thus be-came a holy day of Obliga-tion for Roman Catholics inIreland. It is also a feast dayin the Church of Ireland.
I am thrilled to an-nounce that the John H.Reagan ECHS Blue Jesterswill be competing in the UILOne Act play contest thisSaturday at Mccallum highschool. The Blue Jestershave been in preparation for
months and have perfectedall the aspects of our perfor-mance. Active Blue Jester,Elizabeth Martin states “I’m soexcited! I believe we have astrong ensemble and a fan-tastic play.” I agree with Ms.Martin, I believe the BlueJesters will have a success-ful show and do extremelywell at contest. Last year ourshow received alternate,however I believe that wehave the potential to advancethis year.
We have worked hardand continue to stay deter-mined and those are majoraspects in the struggle toobtain victory.
March 20th is the firstday of spring. Spring is whenyou see green grass, blue-bonnet and many other wildflowers bloom. The time hasalready changed, moved for-
ward that mean that we havemore sunlight in the evening.I’m glad because it alsomeans I have more time toplay outside after I finish myhomework. It takes a while toget use to the time changeespecially in the morning.Spring is my favorite season.It is when I start working onmy garden. This year I willplan on planting squash andegg plant along with my nor-mally vegetables like toma-toes, green peppers and cu-cumbers. I love gardeningbecause it is great to go inthe back yard and pick yourhome grown vegetables andto share them with others.Happy Spring to everyone!
Jarian GallowayHarmony Academy
left and then you’re free! AtHSANA, we get out of schoolin May, so teachers are rush-ing through the rest of thecourse to prepare us for theonslaught of STAAR EOC test,benchmarks and other testing.We just have to remember tokeep up and not get left be-hind!
In these last 2 or somonths, we are hustling andbustling to do the best that wecan. In the end, it’ll all work outfor the best. Until then, considerthis your motivation: The testsare gray hairs and preparationis your hair color dye--Use it!
Spring Time
Sarah RobertsonPioneer Crossing Elem.
Latrice LipscombManor High School
School Is BackSpring break is finally
over and its time to headback to school. Although Imready to start school again, Idon't want my break to end. Ihad a very restful time. Thisweek we have practice forour upcoming Drumline com-petition In 2 weeks and cheertryouts are coming up reallysoon. So let's get ready forthe rest of the school year!
Spring Break
Erika LipscombManor Elementary
Spring break is awe-some! I was in Paris Tx for 3days and saw most of myfamily on my dads side. Thesad part about my trip was Ihad to go to my Uncles fu-neral. It made me sad butlater on I had a really goodtime with my cousins. For therest of spring break I finishedmy homework. Hope youguys had fun over yourbreak!
120 Local StudentsGet the ‘Nod’
Greater Austin High School Musical Theater Awards!
Long CenterAnnounces eyeGO
to the Arts
March 18, 2014(AUSTIN, TX) —In abrief ceremony at theLong Center this morn-ing, which includednearly a hundred cheer-ing students from 19 lo-cal high schools, offi-cials announced thenominations for theFirst Annual GreaterAustin High SchoolMusical TheatreAwards (GAHSMTA).
Long Center Ex-ecutive Director andCEO Jamie Grant alsoused the occasion to an-nounce eyeGO to theArts, a bold new initia-tive aimed at providingaccess to the arts foryoung people. Throughthe eyeGO program,best available seats willbe on sale to high schoolstudents for only $5.This will include allLong Center Presentsevents as well as othershows and eventsthroughout the year.
GAHSMTA is thefirst-ever partnership toinclude Austin’s ‘BigThree’ arts organiza-tions: the Long Center,Zach Scott Theatre andThe University of Texas.
Jamie Grant, ExecutiveDirector and CEO of theLong Center; NatMiller, Education Di-rector at ZACH Theatre;and Dr. Brant Pope, ofthe University of TexasDepartment of Theatre& Dance announced thenames of all 122 nomi-nees (see attached list).
Thousands of localhigh school students arehearing us say, ‘You aregreat! You are amazing!This community is be-hind you! Keep up thegood work!’ That’ssomething the LongCenter wants to investin.”
The April 17thawards ceremony willfeature a variety of per-formances from thenominated casts. Thejam-packed event willinclude a medley show-
casing lead actors andactresses; musical num-bers performed by lead,supporting and fea-tured actors; a finale in-cluding a male and fe-male from each partici-pating school; a selectensemble chosenthrough auditions; andperformances fromeach Outstanding Musi-cal nominee throughoutthe event.
The event will beheld in Dell Hall at theLong Center. Of the 19schools and 1,500 stu-dents competing, over400 of those studentswill perform at the cer-emony. The event willacknowledge outstand-ing student achieve-ments in 15 categories,ranging from set designand musical direction toacting and production
Schools Involved:
Anderson High SchoolBastrop High School
Cedar Park High SchoolCedar Ridge High School
Del Valle High SchoolDripping Springs High School
Hendrickson High SchoolJames Bowie High School
John B. Connally High SchoolLBJ High School/LASA
Leander High SchoolMarble Falls High School
McCallum Fine Arts AcademyRound Rock High School
Rouse High SchoolSt. Andrew's Episcopal SchoolSt. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Vandegrift High SchoolWestlake High School
Good health beginsat home, in our neighbor-hoods, at our schools,and work places. Re-gardless of background,education or income, ev-eryone should have thechance to make choicesthat lead to a long andhealthy life. To make thathappen, efforts are un-derway to decreaseobesity, increase ac-cess to healthy foods,improve city transporta-tion and access to pri-mary care and to men-tal and behavioralhealthcare.
Community HealthImprovement Plan(CHIP) FORUMLearn more about steps being taken to
improve community health.
Join us for anevening to learn moreabout steps being takento improve communityhealth. The event issponsored by Austin/Travis County Health andHuman Services Depart-ment and its partners in-cluding Capital Metro,Seton Healthcare Fam-ily, Central Health, St.David’s Foundation,Austin/Travis County Inte-gral Care, UT School ofPublic Health and TravisCounty Health and Hu-man Services & Veter-ans Services.
When: Wednesday, March 26, 20146:30pm-8:00 pm
Where: Crockett High School,5601 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78745
Come for an evening of communityengagement, free sandwiches and amazingdoor prizes. For more information contact
[email protected] or call 512-972-5862. The Community Health Assessmentand Improvement Plan are available at:http://www.austintexas.gov/healthforum.
National Flood SafetyAwareness Week 3.17 - 3.22.14
National Flood Safety Awareness Week is anopportunity to highlight the dangers associatedwith flash flooding in Central Texas. For More
Information Visit www.ATXfloods.com
Save Yourself!Turn Around – Don’t Drown
Page 6 ~ March 21, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLD
In the past years,Central Texas has seena dramatic growth of itsAfrican Diaspora popu-lation. Moreover, Afri-cans are moving to Cen-tral Texas due to the"good economic" cli-mate seen in the pastdecade. As the Africanpopulation grows inCentral Texas so, doesits businesses, non-profit organizations andactivities. For instance,the Nigerian WomenAssociation of Austinwas founded in 1994 inorder to bring togetherthe Nigerian commu-nity.
Not only was theNigerian Women Asso-ciation of Austin cre-ated to bring unity intheir community, butalso to engage in somecharitable activities. Ac-cording to their charter,the Nigerian WomenAssociation of Austin,plans to “Promotepeace, communication,love and unity amongNigerian Women; topromote among itsmembers a spirit of un-derstanding that isbased on trust, respect,
Cedar ParkElections
On May 10, 2014, the residents of CedarPark, Texas will be going to the polls to vote forvarious members of their City Council. CedarPark is located North-West of Austin, which cov-ers both Williamson and Travis County. In thepast decade, Cedar Park has seen dramaticpopulation growth and increase. According tothe 2013 United States census, there are about59,000 people living in Cedar Park, Texas.
The growing city of Cedar Park, will be vot-ing for three council seats. In two of the councilseats (Place 4 and Place 6), the incumbents arerunning for re-election. While another councilmember in Place 2 will not seek re-election.Moreover, the turn-out for the local city councilseat will probably be low. Moreover, this comingelection in Cedar Park is crucial due to the factthat the next city council would play a vital role inthe economic and population growth of CedarPark.
In place 2, Corbin Van Arsdale is the onlychallenger running for this seat. Van Arsdale wasa former member of the Texas Legislature priorto running for this vacant Place 2 seat in CedarPark. In Place 4, the incumbent Lowell Mooreplans to run and doesn’t seem to have an oppo-nent. In Place 6, Don Tracy the incumbent is alsorunning for re-election.
Don Tracy
by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
Planned Parenthood
During the Texaslegislative session, theconservative Republi-cans tried their best toclose the non-profit or-ganization of PlannedParenthood. However,the Republican led leg-islature limited ser-vices and funds of thePlanned Parenthoodwhich nearly caused itto close. Since theTexas Senate Bills 2passed, Planned Par-enthood has now seensome of its services toboth women and meneither cut and/or re-duced.
Planned Parent-hood services aregeared toward bothwomen and men. But,a larger share ofwomen use its services.According to PlannedParenthood, "PlannedParenthood providessexual and reproduc-tive health care, educa-tion, and informationto nearly five millionwomen, men, and ado-lescents worldwideeach year. Nearly three
Brittany Yelverton
million women andmen in the UnitedStates annually visitPlanned Parenthood af-filiate health centers fortrusted health care ser-vices and information.Eighty-two percent ofPlanned Parenthoodhealth care clients in the
U.S. are age 20 andolder." Moreover, 1out every 5 womenhave visited PlannedParenthood.
In addition,Planned Parenthood of-fers various medicalservices to its clients.According to Planned
Parenthood, “71 percentof our clients receiveservices to prevent un-intended pregnancies.Planned Parenthoodprovides 585,000 Paptests and nearly640,000 breast examseach year, and criticalservices in detectingcancer. Planned Par-enthood providesnearly 4.5 million testsand treatments forsexually transmittedinfections, includingHIV. Three percent ofall Planned Parent-hood health servicesare abortion services."
Here in CentralTexas, Planned Parent-hood has received anew grant that wouldallow them to conductfree HIV testing. Theparticipants must meeta certain income leveland provide some typeof proof of residency toTravis County. As onecan see, Planned Parent-hood provides servicesthat are vital to the com-munity, and especiallyto the minority commu-nities who tend to haveless access to thehealthcare systems.
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
The NigerianWomen Association
of Central Texasby Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
and tolerance; to pro-mote the Nigerian Cul-ture in the United Statesespecially the areas oflanguage and arts; todevelop the networknecessary for fosteringcloser cultural and so-cial ties with other Nige-rian Social Associations,the African-Americancommunity and otherlegitimate social organi-zations in Austin.”
So, on March 29,2014, the NigerianWomen Association ofAustin will be holdinga fundraiser at the ElPalacio Center. More-over, this fundraiserseeks to provide vari-ous types of scholar-ship programs benefit-ing less privileged stu-dents/children in Ni-geria. This project hasbeen an on-going pro-gram for seven years.In addition, the Nige-rian Women Associa-tion of Austin has in-vited some prominentmembers of the com-munity to attend thisfundraising eventwhich promises to be agreat success to thecommunity.
ABS Workout:Texas Relays Edition
Austin, Texas are youREADY??? It's goingdown Wednesday, Mar.26, 2014 at the Royal Fit-ness Studio inside High-land Mall across fromGNC.
Rockstar Fitness andBWFit presentIAMTHEREALDP + TheGuru of Abs AbSESSIONTexas Relays Edition!
Darrell Patterson &DaShaun Johnson "TheGuru of Abs" from Loveand Hip Hop Atlanta areexcited to bring you theDUAL VERSATILEclass! One hour of NON-STOP high interval totalbody exercises & stom-ach sculpting abs work.An ultimate calorie burn-ing sweat session.
Participants will un-dergo various methodsof exercises like neverbefore while beingpushed to the point ofsweat-streaked exhaus-tion burning over 1,000calories. Designed spe-cifically for individualswho want to lose weight,tone up, build enduranceand strengthen their core.
Secure your spot to-day on Eventbrite.com.
Veda Brown Lauren Johnson
WOMEN'SCONFERENCE:
A New ThingCome SPRING FORWARD with women from
all across Central Texas at the SPRING FORWARDWOMEN'S CONFERENCE.
For more information and toregister to attend, please visit
womensconference.wordpress.com
Bianca Neal Zan Asante
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. March 22, 2014 at Life Bridge Job Corps onTwin Lakes Fellowship Church in Cedar Park.
Special guests from across the country, in-cluding one from FOX Studios and another whoworks with the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda-tion in Seattle, will delve into the challengeswomen face in life and on the job and exploreways to live passionate, purposeful, fulfillinglives.
March 26: 2014 87th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Begins
Thursday, March 27, 201411:00 a.m. Heptathlon - College Women
12:30 p.m. Field Events (Prelims and Finals)
Saturday, March 29, 201412:00 p.m.Running Events (Finals)
12:00 p.m. Field Events (Finals)
High School Division events beginat 8:20 p.m. on Thursday March 27 and
1:30 p.m. on Friday March 28.
Official Start Time 3.26.2014 10:30 AM @ Mike A. Myers Stadium
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/March 21, 2014 ~ Page 7
CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION
City of AustinPurchasing Office
EMPLOYMENTPROPOSALS
PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALEFOR RENT
BIDSMISCELLANEOUS
The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . au s t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For addi-tional information regarding current bid opportu-nities or Vendor Registration, please call the Pur-chasing Office at 512-974-2500.
For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.
Invitation to Bid:Intermountain Slurry Seal,
Inc.is seeking subcontractor
quotes, for the City ofAustin 2014 Miscellaneous
Streets Slurry &Microsurfacing;
IFB 6100 CLMC487.Quotes will be received via
fax at 469-635-6054or email at
[email protected] 3/26/14 at 5:00 PM
For question please contactCole Herring at 972-353-
6253.
PROPERTYACCOUNTANT
Well known and reputable multi-family housing company seeksto hire a Full/Part-Time PropertyAccountant for their Properties.Multiple openings due to growthand expansion! Excellent workenvironment! With minimum 3-4 years Staff Accountant levelexperience you will supportproperties with all necessaryresident ledger adjustments,expense accruals, expensereports and resident refundrequests while also preparing allnecessary month-end journalentries for pro- perties.Qualifiedapplicant should send resume to([email protected])
Tel:757-656-9316
Advertise With The
VILLAGER
Representatives Doggett, Slaughter Call onTreasury to Allow Domestic Violence
Survivors to Access ACA BenefitsMonday KicksOff “No More”
WeekDesigned to
IncreaseAwareness ofand Combat
DomesticViolence
WASHINGTON –Today, RepresentativeLloyd Doggett (D-TX), asenior member of theHouse Ways and MeansCommittee, and Repre-sentative LouiseSlaughter (D-NY), anoriginal author of theViolence AgainstWomen Act, along withmore than 70 of their col-leagues, called on theTreasury Department toallow survivors of do-mestic violence equalaccess to health care un-der the Affordable CareAct (ACA). Current Trea-sury regulations requiremarried couples to filejoint income tax returnsto obtain premium as-sistance tax credits. Un-der the Affordable CareAct, low-and-middle-in-come Americans, de-fined as individualsearning less than$44,200 (four times thepoverty rate) and fami-lies of four earning less
than $90,100, are eligiblefor premium assistancetax credits when pur-chasing insurance onthe individual market.
Due to this regula-tion, survivors of domes-tic violence who are stilllegally married must filetaxes jointly with theirspouse in order to re-ceive subsidies for healthinsurance under theACA. For partners whoare financially dependenton their abuser, this is anundue burden that can
extend the cycle of vio-lence and subject survi-vors to further danger.
Monday officiallykicks off No More” week;No More is a new unify-ing symbol designed togalvanize greater aware-ness and action to enddomestic violence andsexual assault.
According to theBureau of Justice Statis-tics, the likelihood ofdomestic abuse goes upas incomes go down.Numerous studies haveshown economic depen-dence is a primary rea-son women stay with orreturn to an abusivepartner. Women whoare more economicallydependent on an abu-sive partner are also lesslikely to pursue re-straining orders. Inde-pendent access tohealthcare is crucial tobreaking the cycle ofabuse and economic de-pendency.
Black ChambersBring Access ToOpportunity toWest Texas
AUSTIN, TX – TheTexas Association ofAfrican AmericanChambers of Commerce(TAAACC), a statewidenetwork of more than 20Black chambers of com-merce, will host itsquarterly ProfessionalServices AdvisoryRoundtable in Odessaon Friday, March 28.The all-day business de-velopment event will beco-hosted by the BlackChamber of Commerceof the Permian Basin,the Abilene BlackChamber of Commerce,the Amarillo Area BlackChamber of Commerce,the Governor’s Office ofSmall Business and theUniversity of Texas –Permian Basin.
“We are diligentlyworking to ensure thatwe take the message ofopportunity to allpoints across the entirestate,” said TAAACCChairman Jim Wyatt.“We have conductedhighly successfulroundtables in Houstonand Fort Worth over thepast eight months, so weare right on schedulewith our commitment tovisit every quadrant ofour state to encouragebusiness owners to learnand apply new tactics to
grow their businesses.Public sector contract-ing can play a criticalrole in a community’seconomic vitality, par-ticularly in increasedemployment opportu-nities.”
TAAACC haspartnered with severalstate agencies and theirH i s t o r i c a l l yUnderutilized Business(HUB) Departments inan effort to increase statecontract awards to Afri-can American ownedbusinesses. Of $15.4 bil-lion spent for goods andservices in the Texas 2012budget, African Ameri-can-owned businesseslanded contracts valuedat only 1.63% of totalspending.
“It is clear thatthere is great room forimprovement,” saidOdel Crawford, leaderof the Black Chamber ofthe Permian Basin. “Webelieve that the boom-ing economy in WestTexas should result intremendous opportuni-ties for Black ownedbusinesses. We are ab-solutely thrilled tobring this great resourceto our corner of thestate.” Crawford is alsoa former chairman of thestatewide organization.
For the first time,the Governor’s Office ofSmall Business will par-ticipate in the TAAACCRoundtable, joiningTexas Facilities Com-mission, Texas Parks &Wildlife, Texas Depart-ment of Health and Hu-man Services, the Uni-versity of Texas System,Texas Department ofTransportation, TexasDepartment of Insuranceand the Texas HigherEducation CoordinatingBoard.
“Without question,we are pleased that ourefforts to this point haveattracted the attentionand participation of theGovernor,” said Wyatt.“We sincerely believethat ‘a rising tide lifts allboats’, and when oppor-tunities increase for ourmember businesses theentire economy im-proves. The commit-ment of the Governor toassist our efforts provesthat we are on to some-thing beneficial to all ofTexas.”
Further informa-tion about the TAAACCProfessional ServicesR o u n d t a b l e /Governor’s Small Busi-ness Forum can befound at the websitewww.taaacc.org.
Newly ReleasedData Shows TexasAmong Top ThreeStates Enrolling in
Affordable CareAct
[TEXAS] - In a re-port released March11th by the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Hu-man Services, Texasranks third nationallywith 758,344 individu-als who have appliedfor health care coveragein the federal marketplace since March 1st.Texas also ranks third inthe number of individu-als who have enrolledin a health care planthrough the marketplace with 295,025 indi-viduals selecting aplan.
”Of the over 2 mil-lion individuals whohave selected a planthrough the federal mar-ket place, Texas makesup 11 percent of the in-dividuals who have se-lected coverage,” saidKatie Naranjo, State Di-rector of Protect YourCare. “Over 4 millionindividuals have se-lected a plan througheither state marketplaces or the federalmarket place, but of thestates who have optednot to create a state mar-ket place, Texas rankssecond nationally. It isclear from the numbersreleased today that Tex-ans want to receive af-fordable health care cov-erage and pay their fairshare into this system.
Senator Royce WestDistrict 23
New tools for school disciplineneed a chance to work
by Royce West, Texas Senate
Much wisdom hasbeen passed and manygreat tales have begunwith the phrase, “Wellback when I was grow-ing up, we used to…,”you can fill in the blank.While mention causesone to reflect, thisphrase also rings truetoday when the discus-sion turns to school dis-cipline.
Corporal punish-ment is gone, never toreturn to the tool box ofschool discipline. It wasreplaced in part by in-school and out-of-school suspension.Now-days, many schooldistricts, particularlythose in urban areasacross Texas and inother places across thecountry, have createdspecial campuses andprograms for problemstudents; those, whodue to their behaviorsand disciplinary prob-lems, have been re-moved from traditionalclassroom settings. InTexas, they are calledDisciplinary Alterna-tive Education Pro-grams and go by the ac-ronym DAEP. Andwhile debate continuesover whether or notthese campuses pro-vide an adequate cur-
riculum or proper in-structional support, stu-dents, through gradua-tion or by their return tohome campuses, do atsome point exit theseprograms.
However, disci-plinary measures put inplace in more recentyears can have implica-tions for students longpast their K-12 experi-ences. These sanctions,duly enforced via on-campus law enforce-ment presence, admin-istered with expedi-ency by the courts, andaided by the pervasiveuse of technology, havebecome barriers to fu-ture success for youngpeople who havemoved past youthfulindiscretions and nowseek to enter theworkforce or are look-ing in the direction ofcollege.
To sum up theproblem, student disci-pline policies used overthe past decade haveresulted in more andmore students - includ-ing disproportionatenumbers of minoritystudents - receiving ci-tations that are pro-cessed in municipal andJustice of the Peacecourts, both of which
are part of the adultcourt system. Ratherthan being sealed underjuvenile law, these cita-tions become part of thepublic record. At thetime these youngpeople have set theirsights on college or em-ployment prospects,these criminal citations,most for violations thatwould not be offenses ifcommitted off schoolproperty, resurface.They result in deniedemployment, collegeapplications and schol-arships. Is this what par-ents or school officialsreally want?
SB393 passed theTexas Legislature andwas signed into law, ef-fective September 1,2013. The bill prohibitsthe issuance citations tostudents for Class C mis-demeanor offenses suchas disruption of class anddisorderly conduct thathave landed them in theadult court system withcriminal history records.
Page 8 ~ March 21, 2014/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESSHT Will Host 8th Annual
Louis Gregory SymposiumAUSTIN, TX - A re-
minder once again toplease mark your calen-dar and plan on attend-ing the Eighth AnnualLouis Gregory Sympo-sium on Race Unity tobe held on Thursday,April 3, 2014, on thecampus of Huston-Tillotson University inAustin. The Sympo-sium will be from 1 to4:30 pm.
Jointly sponsoredby Huston-TillotsonUniversity and the Aus-tin Baha’i community,this annual event hon-ors the work of LouisGregory and asks par-ticipants to join togetherto consider what can bedone to further his life-long vision of creatingracial amity and equity.
Louis Gregory
Ms. Joyce James
We are verypleased and excited toannounce that the key-note speaker for thisyear’s symposium isMs. Joyce James,LMSW-AP.
Joyce James beganher professional careeras a Child ProtectiveServices (CPS) case-worker and has estab-lished an impressive 33-year history in the fieldof child welfare and inaddressing racial ineq-uities in various sys-tems. She has a power-ful story of her journeyfrom CPS caseworker tohead of the State ofTexas’ Child ProtectiveServices and then to As-sociate Deputy Execu-tive Commissioner ofthe Center for Elimina-tion ofDisproportionality andDisparities. Ms. Jamesis currently a privateconsultant working withsystems and communi-ties to achieve racial eq-uity.
Ms. James’ knowl-edge and expertise in rais-ing awareness and increas-ing understanding of theunderlying causes ofdisproportionality and dis-parities as told through thestory of her personal jour-ney is widely recognizedin Texas and across thecountry. She is creditedwith presenting testimonyand data that resulted in
Texas becoming the firststate in the country toestablish legislation toaddress racialdisproportionality.
Ms. James has pre-sented as a keynote andprovided workshops atnumerous state and na-tional conferences. Ms.James has provided con-sultant services to mul-tiple systems in variousstates and jurisdictionsacross the country usinga model created underher leadership that isaligned with thePeople’s Institute forSurvival and Beyond.Her efforts to addressthese critically impor-tant issues have provento have a positive andoften live changing im-pact on systems andcommunity leaders.
In addition to thekeynote speech by Ms.James, there will be apresentation on the ex-emplary life and greatworks of Louis Gregoryand scholarship awardspresented to Huston-Tillotson University stu-dents in his name.
Rounding out theagenda for the day,there will be a livelypanel discussion withdistinguished commu-nity members joiningkeynote Joyce James indiscussing the topic ofrace relations and raceunity today.
These members in-clude former Austinpolice chief Stan Knee,Austin ISD ombudsmanBeverly Reeves,Huston-Tillotson asso-ciate professor Dr.James Kraft, andHuston-Tillotson stu-dent and Dubois scholarKiera Williams.
The event is freeand open to the public.
Light refreshmentswill be served during aspecial Peace ThroughPie event with founderLuanne Stovall, at theend of the afternoon.
We hope to seeyou there!
For more informa-tion about this event,please contact DaleFowler at email [email protected]
HT Will Host 8th AnnualLouis Gregory Symposium
Ricky Williams head up nominees forthe College Football Hall of Fame
by TERRY DAVISHeisman running
back Ricky Williams ofthe Texas Longhorn isamong 75 players thatwill be on 2014 ballotfor induction into theCollege Football Hall ofFame. Two-time unani-mous First Team All-American and 1998Heisman Trophywinner…Finished ca-reer as NCAA’s all-timeleading rusher and wonback-to-back NCAArushing titles1998 Big12 Offensive Player ofthe Year who left Texaswith 46 school records.
The National Foot-ball Foundation (NFF)announced today thenames on the 2014 bal-lot for induction intothe College FootballHall of Fame, including75 players and sixcoaches from the Foot-ball Bowl Subdivisionand 87 players and 26coaches from the divi-sional ranks.
”Having a ballotand a voice in the selec-tion of the inductees isone of the most cher-ished NFF member ben-efits,” said NFF Chair-man Archie Manning, a1989 Hall of Fame in-
Ricky Williams #34
ductee from Ole Miss.“There is no groupmore knowledgeable orpassionate about col-lege football than ourmembership, and thetradition of the ballothelps us engage them inthe lofty responsibilityof selecting those whohave reached the pin-nacle of achievement inour sport.”
”It’s an enormoushonor to just be on theballot when you thinkthat more than 4.99 mil-lion people have played
college football,” saidNFF President & CEOSteven J. Hatchell. “TheHall’s requirement ofbeing a First-Team All-American creates amuch smaller pool ofonly 1,500 individualswho are even eligible tobe on the ballot, so be-ing in today’s elitegroup means an indi-vidual is truly amongthe greatest to ever haveplayed the game, andwe are proud to an-nounce their names.”
The 2014 College
Football Hall of FameClass will be announcedin May from Irving,Texas, and they will beinducted at the 57th NFFAnnual Awards DinnerDec. 9, 2014 at the land-mark Waldorf AstoriaHotel in New York City.
Other area playersof interest that also areon this year’s ballot:
Bob McKay,T e x a s - O f f e n s i v eTackle - 1969 consen-sus First Team All-American who helpedthe Longhorns to thenational championshipand an unbeaten sea-son at the Cotton Bowlin his seniorseason…Member oftwo SWC champion-ship teams and 1969all-conference selec-tion.
LaDainianTomlinson, TCU-Tailback-2000 Unani-mous First Team All-American and 2000Doak Walker Awardwinner…1999 WAC Of-fensive Player of theYear who led TCU toconsecutive co-shares ofWAC title… Holds 15school records and isTCU’s all-time leadingrusher.
Marketplace Enrollment Hits 5 Million MilestoneBy Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
As this historicopen enrollment periodenters its final weeks,millions of Americansare finding quality, af-fordable coveragethanks to the AffordableCare Act. FernandoValdez and DeniseSchroeder were part ofa weekend wave of con-sumers signing up fornew coverage andbringing enrollment na-tionwide to more than 5million through theFederal and State-basedMarketplaces since Oc-tober 1.
Fernando Valdez,25, of El Paso, Texaswoke up early on Satur-day, after his mother in-sisted that he walk to anenrollment center andenroll in Marketplacecoverage. Now, he willpay $22 a month for hishealth insurance.Fernando said that hewalked away knowingthat if “I get into an ac-cident I will not be introuble with trying tofind health care.” Readmore about Fernando’sstory at: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_25353816/en-rol l -el -paso-makes-push-get-residents-enrolled?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com.
And DeniseSchroeder says she nowfeels like “I have awhole new life” afterenrolling in coverage inrecent days. Denise, asmall business owner inWest Chester, Pennsyl-
vania who runs “HappyHeart Clown N’Stuff,”which does balloondecorating and enter-tainment for parties isalso a cancer survivor.Because she had cancer,Denise knew shecouldn’t let her healthcoverage lapse, but the$880 premium she waspaying each monthwiped out her savingsaccount, and she said itwas killing her. But af-ter working with an en-rollment navigator, sheenrolled on Thursday ina Silver Plan for $22 amonth. When she sawthe new premium, she
cried.You can find more
stories like theirs athttp://www.hhs.gov/h e a l t h c a r e / f a c t s /mystory/index.html.
Consumers likeFernando and Deniseare coming every day tocheck out their optionsfor affordable healthcare at HealthCare.govor seeking help from atrained representativein person or via our 24/7 call center. The lastseveral days have beenthe busiest since De-cember, with the CallCenter taking more than198,000 calls on Thurs-
day alone –the busiestday since December23—and more than130,000 calls over theweekend. Last week,HealthCare.gov sawmore than 4 million vis-its—and an additional 1million visits this week-end.
With only twoweeks to go, we’re con-tinuing to work hard toensure that everyAmerican who wants toenroll in affordable cov-erage by the deadline ofMarch 31 is able to doso. So don’t delay; tellyour friends and familyto sign up today.
SBA Resources & 8(a) certification(3/25/2014)
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PMLocation: Entrepreneur Center of Austin, 4029
South Capital of Texas Highway #110,Austin, TX 78704
Fee: FreeFor Registration Information:
512-974-7800 or www.austinsmallbiz.com
QuickBooks - Intermediate (3/28/2014)Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PMLocation: Entrepreneur Center of Austin, 4029 South Capital of Texas Highway#110, Austin, TX 78704Fee: $85For Registration Information: 512-974-7800 or www.austinsmallbiz.com
